the isley bros.pre motown,motown,67-73,3+3 and beyond?which one's the best

[tamla617]

from twist and shout
to motown,behind a painted smile,this old heart of mine
to its our thing,brother,brother,brother,get into something
then on to 3+3,go for your guns,showdown etc.

which isley bros era is the best?

[marv2]

from twist and shout
to motown,behind a painted smile,this old heart of mine
to its our thing,brother,brother,brother,get into something
then on to 3+3,go for your guns,showdown etc.

which isley bros era is the best?

The Isley Brothers best era in my opinion was from 1973 -83 hands down!!!!

[marv2]

Their version of "Love the One You're With" was from 1970-71 and it gets a honorable mention! LOL!

[supremester]

It's Your Thing was in my stack of 45s for a very long time. I have to go with that, although all the way through the 70's they were smoking.

[tamla617]

yeah on stateside label here marv,its the one single i forget about.but i bought it in 71!and its on the givin' it back lp.

[marv2]

yeah on stateside label here marv,its the one single i forget about.but i bought it in 71!and its on the givin' it back lp.

Tamla...it was a MONSTER single! A killer jam for it's time! You put that one record on at a party in 1971 and everyone, even wallflowers would dance!

I don't mean to ignore your original question, but Ronnie and the Isley Brothers have had a most uniquely successful career! They were famous and successful in the 50's, turned around and reinvented themselves at Motown in the 60's then turned around and turned it out in the late 60's on their own label. They did the unthinkable in 1973 when they added Marvin, Ernie and Chris to the group and went from a stand up singing group to one of the Super Bands of the 70's. They just marched on and on into something new and they can only be compared to themselves!!!

[tamla617]

i know, 5 decades of success.
and love the one you're with was big here too.the other thing about the isleys is they are like chameleons.
ever changing to a different style,but the sound was all isley.rock and roll,motown/soul,funk and quiet storm..giants!

[copley]

Motown era only for me.

[rovereab]

Motown era onwards for me.

[marv2]

i know, 5 decades of success.
and love the one you're with was big here too.the other thing about the isleys is they are like chameleons.
ever changing to a different style,but the sound was all isley.rock and roll,motown/soul,funk and quiet storm..giants!

You definitely understand Tamla! Name me another group that went through that many voluntary changes successfully and I'll eat "Mr. Big's" hat! LOL!!!!

[marv2]

Motown era onwards for me.

Rovereab, come on, you didn't like "Shout" or "Twist and Shout"? hehehehehehehe......

[tamla617]

You definitely understand Tamla! Name me another group that went through that many voluntary changes successfully and I'll eat "Mr. Big's" hat! LOL!!!!

i think you'll be going hungry!

[rovereab]

Rovereab, come on, you didn't like "Shout" or "Twist and Shout"? hehehehehehehe......

Not as much as the later periods!

Since owning the Motown Anthology set I have really got into Whispers Getting Louder - so much better in the mono mix.

[marv2]

i think you'll be going hungry!

I know that's right! While others and fans of other legendary performers have been spending years clamoring for more, excessive recognition for their favorites, the Isleys were going on about the business of staying current and entertaining the masses. Giving them their money's worth and then some!

[marv2]

Not as much as the later periods!

Since owning the Motown Anthology set I have really got into Whispers Getting Louder - so much better in the mono mix.

"I Guess I'll Always Love You" was one of my favorites from their Motown days.

[BabyLuv64]

The T-Neck/Epic era is their best for me...[['73-'83).

[Motown4Ever518]

As a Motown type of guy, of course I like the Motown era, but have to say that I love the 3+3 era. Though, I cannot forget about the early 70's Buddah product. I was at the time more of a "Rock" fan, Ohio/Machine Gun, Love The One You're With among others, introduced I am sure their core audience to Rock, and fans of the rock songs were exposed to a different take as well. So that when Fight The Power Came Out, in New York anyway it was all over traditional rock stations.

[marv2]

Here is a rough discography of the Isley Brothers by label:

1957

"The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" --- Teenage
"Don't Be Jealous" — Mark X

1958

"I Wanna Know" — Gone
"My Love"

1959

"I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" — RCA Victor
"Shout [[Part 1)" 47 — —

1960

"Respectable" — — —
"How Deep Is the Ocean?" — — —
"Gypsy Love Song" — — —
"Say You Love Me Too" — — —

1961

"Teach Me How to Shimmy" — — — Atlantic
"Standing on the Dance Floor" — — —
"Your Old Lady" — — —
"A Fool for You" — — —

1962

"Right Now" — — — Wand
"Shout! [[Part 1)" [[re-release) 94 — — RCA Victor
"Twist and Shout" 17 2 42 Wand
"Twistin' with Linda" 54 — —

1963

"Nobody but Me" 106 — —
"I Say Love" — — —
"Tango" — — — United Artists
"Surf and Shout" — — —


1964

"You'll Never Leave Him" — — —
"Who's That Lady" — — —
"Testify" — — — T-Neck
"The Last Girl" — — — Atlantic

1965

"Simon Says" 131 — —
"Move Over and Let Me Dance" — — —

1966

"Love Is a Wonderful Thing" 110 — — Veep

The Tamla [[Motown) era [[1966-1969)Year Single Chart positions[2][5]

1966

"This Old Heart of Mine [[Is Weak for You)" 12 6 3
"Take Some Time Out for Love" 66 — —
"I Guess I'll Always Love You" 61 31 11

1967

"Got to Have You Back" 93 47 —
"That's the Way Love Is" 125 — —

1968

"Take Me in Your Arms [[Rock Me a Little While)" 121 22 —
"Behind a Painted Smile" — — 5

1969

"Put Yourself in My Place" — — 13
"—" denotes the single failed to chart


The T-Neck era [[1969-1984)Year Single Chart positions[2][5]

1969

"It's Your Thing" 2 1 30
"I Turned You On" 23 6 —
"Black Berries [[Part 1)" 79 43 —
"Was It Good to You?" 83 33 —
"Bless Your Heart" 105 29 —

1970

"Keep on Doin'" 75 17 —
"If He Can, You Can" 113 21 —
"Girls Will Be Girls, Boys Will Be Boys" 75 21 —
"Get into Something" 89 25 —
"Freedom" 72 16 —

1971

"Warpath" 111 17 —
"Love the One You're With" 18 3 —
"Spill the Wine" 49 14 —
"Lay Lady Lay" 71 29 —

1972

"Lay-Away" 54 6 —
"Pop That Thang" 24 3 —
"Work to Do" 51 11 —

1973

"It's Too Late" — 39 —
"That Lady [[Part 1)" 6 2 14
"What It Comes Down To" 55 5 —

1974

"Summer Breeze [[Part 1)" 60 10 16
"The Highways of My Life" — — 25
"Live It Up [[Part 1)" 52 4 —
"Midnight Sky [[Part 1)" 73 8 —

1975

"Fight the Power [[Part 1)" 4 1 —
"For the Love of You [[Part 1 & 2)" 22 10 —

1976

"Who Loves You Better [[Part 1)" 47 3 —
"Harvest for the World" 63 9 10

1977

"The Pride [[Part 1)" 63 1 —
"Livin' in the Life" 40 4 —
"Voyage to Atlantis" — 50 —

1978

"Take Me to the Next Phase [[Part 1)" — 1 50
"Groove with You" — 16 —
"Showdown [[Part 1)" — — —

1979

"I Wanna Be with You [[Part 1)" — 1 —
"Winner Takes All" — 38 —
"It's a Disco Night [[Rock Don't Stop)" 90 27 14

1980

"Don't Say Goodnight [[It's Time for Love) [[Parts 1 & 2)" 39 1 —
"Here We Go Again [[Part 1)" — 11 —
"Say You Will [[Part 1)" — — —
"Who Said?" — 20 —

1981

"Hurry Up and Wait" 58 17 —
"I Once Had Your Love [[And I Can't Let Go)" — 57 —
"Inside You [[Part 1)" — 10 —

1982

"Welcome into My Heart" — 45 —
"The Real Deal" — 14 —
"It's Alright with Me" — 59 —

1983

"All in My Lover's Eyes" — 67 —
"Between the Sheets" 101 3 52
"Choosey Lover" — 6 —
"I Need Your Body" — — —


1984

"Let's Make Love Tonight" — — —

The later years [[1985-2006)Year Single Chart positions[2][5]

1985

"Colder Are My Nights" — 12 —

1986

"May I?" — 42 —

1987

"Smooth Sailin' Tonight" — 3 —
"Come My Way" — 71 —
"I Wish" — 74 —

1988

"It Takes a Good Woman" — — —

1989

"Spend the Night [[Ce Soir)" — 3 —
"You'll Never Walk Alone" — 25 —

1990

"One of a Kind" — 38 —

1992

"Sensitive Lover" — 24 —
"Whatever Turns You On" — 46 —

1994

"I'm So Proud" — 66 —

1996

"Let's Lay Together" 93 24 —
"Down Low [[Nobody Has to Know)" [[with R. Kelly) 4 1 23
"Floatin' on Your Love" [[with Angela Winbush) 47 14 —
"Tears" 55 12 —

2001

"Contagious" 19 3 —
"Secret Lover" — 60 —

2003

"What Would You Do?" 49 14 —

"Busted" [[featuring JS) 112 35 —

2004

"Gotta Go Solo" [[with Patti LaBelle) 89 31 —

2006

"Just Came Here to Chill" 108 25 —

[Ngroove]

I guess their seventies-early eighties peroid, even if mostly "For The Love of You", "Between the Sheets", and an occassional "Footsteps In the Dark" for myself...ohh wait, almost forgotten "Groove With You", good & breezy number also!

[psychedelic jacques]

Ngroove - you've just summed it up - 'For The Love Of You' and 'Between The Sheets' - two of the best slabs of soul EVER, and overall, it's the T-Neck stuff by a mile for me. Funnily enough, i've only discovered 'Hurry Up And Wait' for the first time in the past month or so, and this also ranks with their best.

As a side issue, something i've wondered about for a while - it wasn't an issue here in the UK as 'Fight The Power' bombed as a single and the BBC presumably banned it, but in the USA, was the single also banned by many stations for the use of 'bullshit', or was the offending word just bleeped out when it was played?

[marv2]

Ngroove - you've just summed it up - 'For The Love Of You' and 'Between The Sheets' - two of the best slabs of soul EVER, and overall, it's the T-Neck stuff by a mile for me. Funnily enough, i've only discovered 'Hurry Up And Wait' for the first time in the past month or so, and this also ranks with their best.

As a side issue, something i've wondered about for a while - it wasn't an issue here in the UK as 'Fight The Power' bombed as a single and the BBC presumably banned it, but in the USA, was the single also banned by many stations for the use of 'bullshit', or was the offending word just bleeped out when it was played?

It was just bleeped out. They did not ban that record. It was popular in the summer of 1975 and received a lot of R&B Radio airplay.